Reducing energy consumption of mobile phones during data transmission and encryption for wireless body area network applications

Wireless body area networks (WBANs) are an exciting technology that will revolutionize physiological monitoring in the coming years. However, the widespread deployment of WBANs is restricted by steep energy limitations. Furthermore, they require acute security measures to protect user medical data. We aim to measure the energy consumption of a cellphone as it transmits and encrypts data in a mock WBAN scenario. We evaluated the impact of various design parameters in an effort to discover the ideal WBAN operational protocols. In conclusion, we recommend an optimal file size strategy, data communication network, and encryption algorithm that minimize energy consumption and enhance WBAN operation.